I have very little experience of women on ships and even that was limited to wives on board. Probably half a dozen and all when sailing foreign flag. Four Ch.Eng wives and two Ch.Mates and in each case from the Far East and kept themselves to themselves and had no aspiration in usurping their husbands positions. Two of the Japanese wives were medical practitioners and an absolute pleasure to engage in conversation. This of course was a far cry from what I had hear of the goings on in British ships from around the 70s onwards when every officer was entitled to to carry his wife. I'll not belabour what has already been said in this area on the site. As for woman working as officers?. I have no experience save to say I was never put in a position where one was offered by the owners and and I can say that I would probably have declined. Woman shipmasters have been around for some time and I have met quite a few, all Scandinavian, and they seem more than able enough. I heard that back in the 80s little coasters like Arklow shipping had one or two.
Brgds
Bill